Russia on Tuesday said its forces had contained the Ukrainian army's advance actions in the Kursk region, hitting Ukrainian military staff and equipment, while Ukraine claimed to have controlled more territory of the Kursk region in the past 24 hours.
In a daily report released on Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the Russian army hit the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian army's 22nd, 61st and 115th mechanized brigades and its 80th and 82nd airborne assault brigades in the Kursk region.
So far, the Ukrainian army has suffered more than 2,000 casualties, losing 35 tanks, 31 armored personnel carriers, 18 infantry fighting vehicles, 179 bulletproof vehicles, 78 cars, 4 air defense missile systems, 2 multiple rocket launchers and 14 artillery pieces, according to the report.
The report also stated briefly the operations in other directions, noting that the Russian army destroyed a Su-27 fighter jet and hit three air defense missile systems of the Ukrainian army in the past 24 hours, and that its air defense system shot down 52 drones and one Mi-8 helicopter.
Russia's border region of Belgorod has also begun relocating its residents to safer places amid increased military activity near the Ukrainian border.
About 11,000 people had been evacuated from the Krasnoyaruzhsky district in Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Tuesday on his Telegram channel.
Of the evacuees, approximately 1,000 are currently staying in temporary accommodation centers.
"These evacuees are now provided with food, bedding, and essential supplies. I hope the situation will stabilize soon, allowing them to return home," Gladkov said.
As Ukrainian forces crossed the Russian border last Tuesday and broke into parts of Russia's Kursk region, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) of Russia on Friday initiated a counterterrorism operation (CTO) regime across the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions.
The committee said that this measure was enacted on Saturday to protect citizens and prevent potential terrorist acts following an unprecedented attempt by Ukraine to destabilize several regions in Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that the offensive of Ukrainian military forces in Russia's western Kursk region continued.
"Despite the difficult and intense battles, our forces continue to advance in the Kursk region, and our state's 'exchange fund' is growing," Zelensky said in a post on Telegram after a video conversation with Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Ukraine has taken control over 74 settlements in the Kursk region, Zelensky said, noting that "inspections and stabilization measures" were being carried out in those settlements.
Preparations for Ukraine's "next steps" are also underway, he added.
According to the video published on the official presidential account on Telegram, Syrsky informed Zelensky that Ukrainian forces had taken control of 40 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.
As of Monday, Ukrainian forces controlled about 1,000 square kilometers of the Russian territory, according to Syrsky.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the same day that the Ukrainian army engaged in 80 battles with Russian forces at the frontline, with those in the direction of Pokrovsk reported to be the most intensive, where the Ukrainian army repelled 22 Russian attacks. Armies from both sides continued to exchange fire in various regions.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Tuesday on his social media account that Ukraine had received 4.2 billion euros (about 4.62 billion U.S. dollars) in financial aid from the European Union (EU), which will be used to maintain the country’s macro-financial stability, public administration operations and humanitarian support.
Shmyhal said that since the beginning of this year, the EU has provided Ukraine with more than 12 billion euros in budget support.
Russia claims containing Ukrainian army's advancement, while Ukraine reports controlling more territory in Kursk
